This invention relates to a multi-configuration, multi-purpose rack system for transporting a large variety of objects on a vehicle, and a novel and unique means to package, ship, display and store the rack system.
There are a variety of vehicle racks on the market, however most are single use, e.g., bike racks, ski racks, etc. A few racks claim to be multi-purpose, however they become multi-purpose only with the inclusion of added-cost accessories. The new Reese/Draw-Tite xe2x80x9cDual Port Systemxe2x80x9d carries this to the extreme, having 11 accessories, only two of which are capable of being used for more than a single purpose (see at xe2x80x9cdualportsystem.comxe2x80x9d). Both Porter, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,304, and Goodness, U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,615, claim a xe2x80x9cmodular vehicle [carrier/rack] systemxe2x80x9d. Both become multi-functional only by adding extra-cost accessories.
Stein, U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,049 claims, xe2x80x9cA vehicle receiver mounted cargo carrier is readily configured to transport bicycles, skies and poles, canoes, snowboards, canoe paddles and other cargo through the use of a vertical frame into which various rods may be placed, at locations most suited for the specific cargo.xe2x80x9d While Stein""s basic rack can be configured in several variations of a single design theme to carry primarily, light weight and flat objects, e.g., skies, his design also requires added-cost accessories to carry the bicycles and canoe he claims.
Darby""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,890 is unique in that it can be used as both a bed extender for a pickup and as the rear portion of a roof-height carrier. This design, while being dual purpose, suffers from the inherent size and non-extensibility of the members: to be tall enough to reach from a receiver trailer hitch to the top of the roof rack of the tallest SUV, one side of his xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d-section must be well over four feet long. In addition, his xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d bar is non-extensible and must also be over four feet long in order to carry four-foot wide sheet goods. These sizes pose problems for packaging and shipping, and their non-extensibility limits the applications since some vehicles will be either too tall or too short to accommodate these non-extensible members. In addition, Darby claims that his rack requires xe2x80x9conly a small amount of storage space such as behind the seat of a pickup truck.xe2x80x9d His design makes no provision for housing these large pieces behind the seat, so they would be free to rattle and move about, possibly being thrown violently from side to side within the vehicle during emergency maneuvers or on a curvy road. This could damage the truck and could potentially injure passengers. Further, due to their size, there is no convenient way to carry these pieces in a van or SUV.
Bagley""s U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,824 claims to be a xe2x80x9crack systemxe2x80x9d because it can be used xe2x80x9cfor carrying canoes, bikes, or luggage type itemsxe2x80x9d, however his design results in one piece being used to carry bikes and another piece being used to carry the rear portion of a canoe or other long object. Both, or either of these separate, unrelated pieces can be attached to a vertical mast, but neither is integrated with the other. Bagley does claim a xe2x80x9csubstantially rigid . . . panel being positionable onxe2x80x9d the bicycle carrying rods. This rigid panel is only an accessory to the his core xe2x80x9crack systemxe2x80x9d and suffers from several deficiencies: 1) the width of materials which can be carried on his panel is restricted by the width of the bike rack portion of his invention (typically these bike carrying rods are about eighteen inches apart); 2) a rigid panel poses problems for shipping and storage; 3) Bagley""s panel cannot be attached to his lower xe2x80x9csupport armxe2x80x9d which limits the lowest height at which the panel can be utilized, and thus reduces the convenience of placing objects on the panel; 4) it is obvious from Bagley""s design that the carrying capacity of this rigid panel is quite limited; and, 5) Bagley makes no provision for carrying his rack in a vehicle, or for easy storage at the owner""s home. By combining several of the functions, e.g., carrying both a canoe and bicycles, his rack can be configured in a maximum of five separate ways.
(In the following sections, reference will be made to FIGS. 12A-12T, which are schematic representations of the 20 most useful and practical configurations of the current invention. In each of these 20 figures, the line projecting to the left represents the connection point to a receiver hitch. Eleven of the figures have short line segments at right angles to and bisecting a longer linexe2x80x94these represent connection points between various pieces of the rack system. FIGS. 12D, E, F and R represent the folding platform resting on the horizontal segment of the crossbar and on the elongate members. The reader may wish to familiarize himself/herself with all of the FIGS. associated with this application before proceeding.)
This co-inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 is the only prior art which is a true multi-configuration, multi-purpose rack, whose parts can be assembled in multiple ways to form a variety of configurations for carrying a wide variety of objects without resorting to added-cost accessories. That design could be configured in only seven waysxe2x80x94see FIGS. 12A, B, C, D, E, H and I, whereas the current invention can be configured in 20 separate and useful ways, see FIGS. 12A-12Txe2x80x94a tripling of the number of configurations. Since U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 was issued, a great deal of time and engineering effort have gone into increasing the flexibility of the rack system while reducing the number of parts needed and greatly simplifying the overall construction of the rack system, e.g., each of the five metal pieces consists of only two simple pieces of metal tubing welded together. The only machining required is drilling holes and grinding some of the welds smooth, which keeps manufacturing costs to a minimum.
The current invention consists of the following changes to U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004: replacing the novel, anti-wobble connector to a receiver hitch with a much simpler, but still novel, anti-wobble connector; replacing the novel, anti-wobble attachment means and the vertical bar with an xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member; reducing the height of the vertical bar/xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member; the addition of an extension bar to the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member; adding the same type novel connector means used between the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member and a hitch receiver to the connection between the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member and the extension, and to the connection between the crossbar as it attaches to either the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member or the extension to prevent wobble between these pieces; lengthening the slide means of each of the elongate members and changing the connection between each of the weight bearing segments and its attendant slide means producing an asymmetry with more of the slide means on one side of the elongate member than on the other side; sizing the weight bearing segment of each elongate member to telescopically slide into an end of the horizontal segment of the crossbar; changing the elongate members so that each is the mirror image of the other; a reduction in the length of the horizontal segment of the crossbar, and a slight, but important change to the configuration of the crossbar to allow it to be used to transport large sheet goods, e.g., a sheet of plywood, without damaging the sheet goods. The result of all these changes is to make the five metal pieces of the rack system simpler and less expensive to manufacture, sturdier and safer, easier to assemble, and much more flexible in the number of separate configurations it can assume, and therefore in the number and variety of objects it can carry. When used with an optional roof rack, the current invention can transport virtually every type of sports equipment, including bikes, skis, snowboards, canoes, kayaks, surf and sail boards, as well as practical items such as lumber and building supplies up to 5 m. (16 ft) long and up to 135 kg. (300 lbs). The current invention can also carry lawn and garden supplies, camping and outdoor equipment, luggage, furniture, cargo containers and even some appliances.
A further enhancement which is derived from the above changes is the modification of the folding platform such that it need have only two hinged areas as opposed to the multiple sets of hinges of the original platform. A further change to the folding platform such that it can be made to house the rest of the rack when not in usexe2x80x94this greatly simplifies the packaging, shipping, display, storage and use of the entire rack system. By sizing the platform and it""s contents to fit the cargo area of a vehicle, the current invention can easily be carried in a vehicle""s cargo area for use at any time. In practice, this results in a package of approximately 12 cmxc3x9730 cmxc3x97100 cm (5xe2x80x3xc3x9712xe2x80x3xc3x9740xe2x80x3)=approximately 36 cubic decimeters (1.5 cubic feet), which weighs approximately 23 kg (50 pounds). No other vehicle rack has been specifically designed and sized to keep packaging requirements to a minimum, and to be carried conveniently in a vehicle""s cargo area. This increase in convenience and reduced cost of packaging provides advantages never before appreciated or actualized in this art. Certainly, the combination of all of the above changes to U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004, with a resultant tripling of the number of configurations the current invention can assume, would not have been obvious to one with average skill in the art of vehicle rack design.
More specifically, the following changes were made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004:
1. The single xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member (Item 3 in FIGS. 1, 2, 7A, 7B and 11) is constructed from only two pieces of metal which are cut to length, the holes are drilled and the two pieces are welded together. This is much simpler and less expensive than the connector (Items 8 and 15) and vertical bar (Items 20 and 21) of U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004, which required 11 separate pieces of metal and nine welds. The xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member of the current invention is similar to Darby""s xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d section, however the longer leg of the current xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member is considerably shorter than Darby""s. This difference in length poses several non-obvious advantages over Darby""s design: A) attaching the shorter leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member to a receiver hitch with the extension attached to the longer leg, and the crossbar attached to the larger end of the extension, produces the rear portion of a variable-height roof rack which can be extended from approximately 90 cm (3 ft) to 1.5 m (5 ft) to better match the height of the roof rack on the vehicle (FIGS. 12H-12J); B) attaching the extension piece of the current invention to a receiver hitch, and then attaching the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member to the extension, with the shorter leg pointing vertically, and attaching the crossbar to the shorter leg, produces the only design available for a variable length bed extender (FIGS. 12N-12P), with the advantages of being able to accommodate the needs of a wider variety of vehicles, conditions and loads; C) the weight and length of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member are reduced, making it easier to handle, store and ship; and D) the shorter length allows for an additional function: to be conveniently stored within a vehicle.
Darby""s xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d section can function in only two modalities: with either the shorter leg or the longer leg attached to a receiver hitch. In contrast, the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member of the current invention, in conjunction with the extension, can function in six separate configurations: when the shorter leg is attached to a receiver hitch, the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member can serve as the attachment point for either, 1) the crossbar (FIGS. 12A-12E), or 2) the extension (FIGS. 12F-12J); when the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member is attached to a receiver hitch, the shorter leg can serve as the attachment point for either 3) the crossbar (FIGS. 12K-12M), or 4) the extension (FIGS. 12Q-12T); and when the extension is attached to a receiver hitch, either 5) the longer leg (FIGS. 12N-12P) or 6) the shorter leg (not shown, but similar to 12Q-12T) of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member can be attached to it.
2. The extension (Item 8 of FIGS. 1, 2, 6A, 6B and 11) of the current design is similar to Bagley""s extension, however Bagley never labeled his as an extension, but merely refers to it as the xe2x80x9cfirst portionxe2x80x9d of xe2x80x9ca leg portionxe2x80x9d. Bagley""s bike carrying rods cannot be attached to the lower section of his xe2x80x9cleg portionxe2x80x9d. Since Bagley""s rigid panel attaches to the bike carrying rods, this prohibits his panel from being lowered to near the bumper height of the vehicle, which thereby makes it more cumbersome and potentially dangerous to load objects on the panel at the higher level. In contrast, the extension of the current invention differs from Bagley""s in that it has a larger end which is similar in size and shape to the material of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member, and a smaller end which is sized to telescopically be inserted into either leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member (FIGS. 6A and 6B). This difference allows the crossbar to be mounted to either leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member or to the larger end of the extension. In turn, this allows the crossbar to be positioned over the full length of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member and also to be extended, along with the extension, to assume a position convenient for loading a wide variety of cargo, whether that be at bumper height or at roof top height, or at graded heights in between. While Bagley""s xe2x80x9cfirst portionxe2x80x9d can only be inserted into his xe2x80x9cleg portionxe2x80x9d, the extension of the current invention can be used in five separate configurations of the rack system: 1 and 2) when either leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member is connected to a receiver hitch, the extension can be telescopically inserted into the free leg (FIGS. 12F-12J, and FIGS. 12Q-12T); 3 and 4) when the larger end of the extension is attached to a receiver hitch, either leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member can be attached to the smaller end of the extension (FIGS. 12N-12P, and similar, but not shown, to FIGS. 12Q-12T); and, 5) the extension can be telescopically inserted into the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member for convenient storage (FIG. 3). Thus, the construction of the extension with different sized ends greatly expands its usefulness in a serendipitous way over Bagley""s xe2x80x9cfirst portionxe2x80x9d which can be used in only one way.
3. DeGuevara, U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,159, shows a novel and simple means to prevent wobble between a rack and a receiver hitch, and between rack members, consisting of a shoulder bolt and different sized holes in the rack pieces. The current invention uses improved shoulder bolts (Item 7 in FIGS. 1, 10A and 10B), plus the addition of a crucial, strong washer (Item 1 in FIGS. 1 and 10B) at the receiver hitch attachment, to accomplish the same ends. While DeGuevara writes that his xe2x80x9cconnector memberxe2x80x9d can be used to attach his rack to a xe2x80x9cstandardxe2x80x9d receiver hitch, his xe2x80x9cDescription of the Inventionxe2x80x9d, his FIG. 7 drawing and his claim No. 10, all depict and describe an atypical receiver, one with two different sized holes. Standard receivers have two holes of equal size through which a retaining pin is usually passed. While DeGuevara shows a small washer under the nut on his connector member as it is attached to his atypical receiver, he doesn""t bother to number it and makes no mention of it being important, and with his atypical receiver, it is of little importance. However, from experience, this inventor has found that using DeGuevara""s design on a standard receiver, with two pin retaining holes of the same size, where the threaded segment of the shoulder bolt is substantially smaller than the hole in the receiver, a standard washer will deform into the hole under the stress of cargo attempting to sway from side to side during normal vehicle maneuvers. This deformation will ultimately result in unwanted wobble between the receiver hitch and the rack. It is crucial that the washer be strong enough to withstand the swaying forces without significant deformation. This seemingly insignificant, unobvious change results in a workable design when using a shoulder bolt with a standard receiver hitch, whereas DeGuevara""s design would result in failure.
DeGuevara illustrates his shoulder bolts with just a slight curve on the non-threaded end, similar to a standard hitch retaining pin which has been modified to make it into a shoulder bolt. While not obvious, the size and shape of this curve would not allow the average person to manually apply adequate leverage to this curved end when a wrench is used to tighten or loosen a nut on the threaded end, resulting in the need, at least occasionally, to use some clamping device, e.g., pliers, to keep the curved end from turning while applying torque to the nut. The shoulder bolt of the current invention solves this problem by replacing DeGuevara""s curved end with a xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d handle of a predetermined size (FIGS. 10A and 10B) to allow the average person to manually apply adequate torque to resist the turning force when a wrench is used to tighten or loosen a nut on the threaded end.
DeGuevara also illustrates his shoulder bolts with the threaded portion having a flat end. This inventor has found that this design can pose alignment problems when trying to insert the threaded end through the smaller holes (26). The current invention improves on this design by providing the threaded end with a rounded tip (31). This rounded tip is self-centering in the smaller holes thereby reducing alignment problems (FIGS. 10A and 10B).
The current invention improves on DeGuevara""s design in yet another way: it has holes of different sizes (Items 6 and 26) on opposite sides of all three of the major structural membersxe2x80x94the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member, the extension and the crossbar (FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, and 8). DeGuevara limits the use of his xe2x80x9cconnector memberxe2x80x9d to only two of the four connection points in his design. By using standard nuts and bolts at the other two connection points, he re-introduces the possibility of xe2x80x9crelative movementxe2x80x9d between rack pieces which he sought to avoid. The current invention uses shoulder bolts, in conjunction with the larger and smaller holes, at all three major connecting points to eliminate all possible wobble or other unwanted movement.
As with other parts of the current invention, the shoulder bolts (7) and attendant nuts (2) serve more than one function: 1) they securely connect the three major pieces of the rack system together, and 2) they hold the crossbar securely within the folding platform for packaging, shipping, display and storagexe2x80x94see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.
4. The crossbar of this co-inventor""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 is similar to the crossbar of the current invention with two subtle, but important changes:
A) The crossbar of U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,000 had a small extension of the vertical segment which extended above the horizontal segment. The purpose of this extension was to project o through the square hole in the platform to securely locate the platform. With the crossbar being used as a terminal piece of the rack in both the bed extender position (FIGS. 12K-12P) and in the roof rack position (FIGS. 12H-12J), this small extension would keep sheet goods, e.g., a sheet of plywood, from resting on the horizontal bar and would also tend to scratch anything resting on it. The solution to this problem involved attaching the vertical segment of the crossbar to the horizontal segment so that the vertical segment is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the horizontal segment (FIG. 8). This simple change results in a greatly expanded utility of the crossbar.
B) The length of the horizontal (or longer) segment of the crossbar was shortened. This allowed the crossbar to be housed within the folding platform (FIG. 3) and for the whole rack package to be carried in the cargo area of a vehicle, specifically an SUV. While SUV""s are generally considered large vehicles, the usable cargo space behind the third row of seats and between the wheel wells of most SUV""s is as small as 100 cm (40xe2x80x3) wide, and is rarely wider than 112 cm (44xe2x80x3). In practice, the crossbar of the current invention was shortened to approximately 90 cm (36xe2x80x3). Thus, the shortening of the crossbar allows for two additional advantages never before actualized in this art: to be conveniently stored within the cargo area of a vehicle, and to be conveniently and economically packaged.
While Bagley""s crossbar can be used for only one purpose, and Darby""s crossbar can be used in both of his configurations, the crossbar of the current invention can be used in seven separate configurations of the rack system: when the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member""s shorter leg is attached to a receiver hitch, the crossbar can be attached to either 1) the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member""s longer leg (FIGS. 12A-12G) or 2) to the extension (FIGS. 12H-12J); when the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member""s longer leg is attached to a receiver hitch, the crossbar can be attached to either the 3) shorter leg (FIGS. 12K-12M) or 4) to the extension (FIGS. 12S and 12T); configurations 5 and 6: when the extension is attached to a receiver hitch and either leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member is attached to it, the crossbar can be attached to the free leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member (FIGS. 12N-12P, and similar to, but not shown, 12Q-12T); and, 7) when packaged in the folding platform, the crossbar helps to hold the elongate members in place (FIG. 3).
5. Bagley, Davy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,656, and Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,092, have all designed their crossbar extensions as single use items, and each inventor shows multiple holes in his crossbar extensions to provide for adjustment in the overall width of the load carrying surface, with positive cargo stops on the outer ends of these extensions. This poses a potential problem for cargo narrower than the narrowest adjustment which each of these three designs offer: no positive cargo stops. The current invention solves this problem by modifying the elongate members of U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 as follows: the slide means segment of these members has been elongated, and the longer, weight-bearing segment has been moved off-center to make a resulting asymmetrical design of the two members, mirror images of each other (Items 14 in FIGS. 1, 2, 9A and 9B). In addition, the weight-bearing segment has been sized to telescopically slide into either end of the horizontal segment of the crossbar. For cargo narrower than the crossbar, the slide means segment of the elongate members can be slid on the horizontal segment of the crossbar, with the longer, weight-bearing segment of the members pointing vertically (FIGS. 121, L and O). The distance between the two elongate members can be adjusted to any desired width, down to 3 cm (1xe2x80x3) to provide positive cargo stops. For cargo wider than the crossbar, the weight-bearing segments of the elongate members can be telescopically inserted into the ends of the crossbar, with the longer segments of the slide means situated vertically to serve as positive cargo stops (FIGS. 12J, M and P). Utilizing the elongate members in both of these configurations, cargo from 3 cm (1xe2x80x3) wide up to 1.85 m (6 ft.) wide can be accommodated, providing positive cargo stops on both sides of the cargo.
Whereas the other three inventors"" extensions serve only a single function, the modified elongate members of the current invention can function in five separate modalities: as load carrying members on which cargo is placed (FIGS. 12A, G and Q), as support to the all-purpose cargo platform (FIGS. 12D, E, F, and R), as load carrying members from which cargo can be suspended (FIGS. 12B, C, S and T), as crossbar extensions (FIGS. 12J, M and P) and as crossbar ends (FIGS. 121, L and O).
There is one further improvement in the crossbar extensions over previous art: no holes need to be drilled in the extensions, and no pins, nuts and bolts, or other connectors are needed to keep the crossbar extensions in place. In practice, this inventor has found that when sufficient force is applied by a strap or other tie-down means, from the outer end of one extension, up and over the cargo load, and back to the outer end of the other extension, neither the load nor the extensions move. Under the influence of a tight tie-down means, e.g., a strap with a ratchet tightener, there is enough friction between the extension telescopically placed within the crossbar to negate the need for other connection means between these members. This simplifies construction and renders the extensions less expensive to manufacture. Further, the distance between the extension ends is continuously variable to better match the width of the load.
6. The folding platform of U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 has been modified significantly. The original design had multiple segments with multiple hinges which folded accordion-style for storage. It functioned as an all-purpose cargo platform/work surface/tail gate table. The folding platform of the current invention can still be used for all three of these purposes (FIGS. 12D, E, F and R), but it has three segments and two hinged areas which allow it to be folded into a three-sided container to house the rest of the rack pieces (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) for inexpensive packaging and shipping. Thus, the folding platform can be used in four separate configurations and it has specifically been sized to fit within the cargo area of a vehicle, which adds a fifth function: convenient storage. Bagley""s rigid panel can serve only one function.
On the under side of the folding platform, locator means (FIG. 3, Items 21 and 21xe2x80x2) have been added to locate the platform as it rests on the crossbar and elongate members, when it is being used as a cargo platform, etc. Additional holding means (FIG. 3, Items 22, 23 and 24) have also been added to the underside of the platform so that when it is being used to store the rest of the rack, the holding means firmly hold the five metal pieces of the rack in place for shipping, display and storage. A closure mechanism (FIG. 5, Item 25) has been added to the folding platform to hold it firmly closed when housing the metal parts.
There are several other dedicated cargo platforms on the market similar to Belinky, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,184B1. Usually, they have a single, central member which attaches to a receiver hitch. This single member supports the center of the platform which is usually made of perforated and expanded sheet metal. Additional strength to keep the platform from bending under load is provided by solid metal edges extending above the rack surface two-to-three inches. These designs suffer from several deficits: 1) they are made all in one piece and are heavy and clumsy to attach and to remove from a receiver hitch, 2) they are too big to be stored within the vehicle conveniently, and 3) trying to carry a single object which is wider than the platform results in a portion of the cargo resting on the narrow metal edge where it could be easily damaged. When the cargo is wider than the platform, the weight of the cargo contacts the platform only at the outer edges which are farthest from the central support. This increases the leverage of the weight of the cargo to its maximum, increasing the possibility of bending the platform. Secondly, these existing designs have no vertical member. When attempting to transport tall items, there is nothing to support the cargo in the vertical direction creating the possibility the cargo could topple over, especially under hard braking, damaging both the cargo and the vehicle.
The current invention solves these problems by: A) not having vertical edges on the platformxe2x80x94cargo can extend over any edge and still be supported by the full breadth and width of the platform; B) the elongate members can be positioned anywhere along the underside of the platform to provide maximum support where it is most needed, whether that is near the center of the platform or at its edges, or anywhere in between; and C) when the shorter leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member is attached to a receiver hitch, and the platform is resting on the crossbar and the elongate members (FIGS. 12D and 12R), the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member will be extending vertically up through the hole in the platform and can serve as a place to brace taller cargo and as a tie-down point to keep the cargo from toppling over. If needed, the extension can be attached to the longer leg to further extend the vertical capacity of the platform (FIG. 12F). Thus, cargo of 1.5 m (5 ft) or more in height could be safely transported, which would be impossible with the existing designs on the market. Finally, since the current invention is assembled, one piece at a time, it is much more convenient to attach it and remove it from a receiver hitch than the large, one piece cargo platforms.
While the platform could be constructed from a variety of materials, including plywood and strand board, it is envisioned that a rugged plastic with a molded-in honeycomb substructure would best serve all of the functions of the platform.
For shipping and sales display, this folded platform with the metal parts inside could have a sheet of information, e.g., text and pictures of the rack system in use, placed on top of the platform, and the whole package could be wrapped in clear shrink wrap material. The sales material and portions of the metal pieces could be clearly seen through the shrink wrap, negating the need for a curious shopper to xe2x80x9copen the boxxe2x80x9d to inspect the contents. This would form an inexpensive packaging with no further need for a cardboard box or other packaging material. After removing the shrink wrap, this same configuration would allow the current invention to be stored in the cargo area of a vehicle for use at any time. This configuration would also make storage of the rack system more convenient at the owner""s home. Modifying the folding platform and five rack pieces as described above, solved the problems of packaging, shipping, display and storage in one easy step, none of which have ever been successfully addressed by other rack designs.
A further unobvious advantage of the current invention over all other designs comes from attaching the longer leg of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member to a receiver hitch with the shorter leg pointing vertically, and attaching the extension to the shorter leg, with the cross bar attached to the larger end of the extension. This produces an entirely new type of rack: a rack which can safely and independently carry cargo several feet behind a vehicle to allow easy access to the rear of the vehicle (FIG. 11 and FIGS. 12Q-12T)xe2x80x94a similar, but more flexible configuration can be obtained by reversing the placement of the extension and the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d shaped member. The configuration shown in FIG. 11 would be useful if the bed of the pickup were filled by a small boat, or other object, which extended slightly over the end of the lowered tail gate, and the owner wanted to also carry other items, such as several bikes, at the same time. This same configuration would allow easy access to the rear of an SUV without having to disturb the cargo.
Other designs have attempted to solve the problem of access to the rear of the vehicle by swinging the cargo away from the rear of the vehicle, similar to DeGuevara""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,159. All of these designs known to this inventor are for bicycle and ski/snowboard racksxe2x80x94there are none suitable for other cargo. These designs, with their double members, connected together by a hinge, which extend from the receiver hitch to the side of the vehicle, add weight and complexity, and therefore cost to the designs, e.g., a Yakima xe2x80x9cTerraGatexe2x80x9d 2 bike hitch rack costs $319.00 (see: yakima.com). Also, these designs have no provision for staying in the open position, so if the vehicle is pointing down hill or tilting to the right, the rack with the bikes attached will tend to close, possibly damaging an open rear door or hatch. The current invention is so simple, strong and solid that it can safely carry up to 60 kg (130 lbs) approximately 1 m (1 yd) behind a vehicle with none of the limitations associated with prior art. Further, it can carry any cargo, not just bikes and skis/snowboards. The configurations shown in FIGS. 12Q-T are like no other rack.
The result of all of the above changes is a rack system which consists of five simple-to-manufacture metal pieces and a folding platform (FIG. 1). These six pieces can be configured in at least eight completely separate modalities with multiple variations of each configuration, producing at least 50 separate possibilities for configuring the rack system. The 20 most practical and useful configurations are depicted in schematic fashion in FIGS. 12A-12T. The other at least 30 possible configurations have been omitted on the basis that they are less likely to be used, having only minimal advantages over the 20 configurations depicted.
No other rack system can claim this much flexibility: eight separate modalities and at least 20 different and useful configurations. As mentioned above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 can be assembled in seven of those configurations (FIGS. 12A, B, C, D, E, H and I), and if U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,004 were combined with Darby""s dual purpose rack, the following nine configurations could be produced: FIGS. 12A, B, C, D, E, H, I, K and L. But, that leaves the other 11 configurations (not to mention the at least 30 not shown) as serendipitous benefits which derive from the additional non-obvious modifications described in items 1-6 above.
Truly, there is a synergism to this design which allows it to be so simple and economical to manufacture and yet it can be configured in at least 20 different practical and useful ways to transport a very wide variety of items, and to be so convenient to package, ship, display, store and use, that the end result is much greater than the sum of the six parts of the rack system. Certainly, the means and the ends of the current invention are so unique that this design and its multiple configurations and functions would not have been obvious to one with average skill in the art of vehicle rack design.
The subject of the current invention is a multi-configuration, multi-purpose rack system for transporting a wide variety of objects on a vehicle, and a unique means to package, ship, display and store the rack system. The five metal parts of the rack system are constructed out of readily available tubing which requires only simple cutting, machining and welding techniques to produce pieces which can slide together in at least 20 configurations. The rack system can be used either by itself or in conjunction with a separate roof rack. Depending on the configuration, this rack system can be used as:
1. a variable length bed extender to a pickup truck, SUV, van or even a car (FIGS. 12N-12P)
2. an entirely new type of rack which can safely and independently carry cargo several feet behind a vehicle to allow easy access to the rear of the vehicle (FIG. 11 and FIGS. 12Q-12T)
3. as a bicycle rack (FIGS. 12B and 12S)
4. as an all-purpose cargo platform (FIGS. 12D, F and R)
5. as a pair of horizontal arms, which can be positioned at various heights and whose spacing can be varied horizontally, on which to load cargo (FIGS. 12A, G and Q)
6. as a pair of horizontal arms, which can be positioned at various heights and whose spacing can be varied horizontally, from which cargo can be suspended (FIGS. 12C and T)
7. as a work surface or a tail gate table (FIG. E)
8. as the rear portion of a variable-height roof rack (FIGS. 12H-J)
9. as a base for easily attaching accessories to transport specialty items (FIGS. 12A-12C and FIGS. 12G-12J).
The general object of the current invention is to provide a new, multi-configuration, multi-purpose rack system for a vehicle with a unique means to package, ship, display and store the rack system which overcomes the limitations and drawbacks of prior art and which is not anticipated or rendered obvious by any prior art vehicle racks.
A specific object of the invention is to provide a rack system which can be assembled in at least 20 different and useful configurations to transport a wide variety of large and bulky objects on a vehicle.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a rack system which is convenient and inexpensive to package, ship, display and store.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a rack system of predetermined size which can be conveniently stored in the cargo area of a vehicle.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a variable length bed extender.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide the rear portion of a variable-height roof rack.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a rack which can safely and independently carry cargo several feet behind a vehicle to allow easy access to the rear of the vehicle.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a means to firmly attach carrying racks to receiver hitches to minimize wobble between the rack and the receiver.
Yet another specific object of the invention is to provide a means to firmly attach the pieces of a rack together to minimize wobble between the pieces.
Yet another specific object of the invention is to provide a folding platform which can be used as an all-purpose cargo platform, as a shipping container, as a work surface, as a tail gate table, and as a housing for the rest of the rack pieces.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a rack system in which each major piece can be utilized in multiple configurations and for multiple functions.
Another specific object of the invention is to provide a rack system in which all of the major pieces of the rack attach to each other by one piece sliding over, onto or into another piece.
Yet another specific object of the invention is to provide an all-purpose cargo platform with a vertical support member against which cargo can be braced. The vertical support member being capable of being used as a tie-down point to support cargo in the vertical direction.
Further objects and advantages of the current invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing descriptions.